Hexagram 42 · Increase (益 Yì)
Wind ☴ over Thunder ☳
Wind and thunder amplifying each other · gust and roll that swell together
Increase is the bright counterpart to Decrease — the hexagram of expansion, generosity and a rising tide. Where the previous figure described willing loss, this one describes abundance that flows outward and multiplies. It marks one of the I Ching's most favourable moments: a time when the conditions support beginning things, when effort meets a following wind, and when what is given away tends to come back enlarged. The energy here moves from the top down, blessing those below and inviting bold, constructive action.
Wind sits above and Thunder below, and the two are natural allies: the storm-wind drives the thunder, the thunder lends the wind its force, each strengthening the other. The image is of energies that reinforce rather than oppose — movement below stirring influence above, both growing as they meet. That mutual amplification is the heart of the hexagram. Increase happens not by hoarding but by circulation, gifts and gains passing between the strong and the many until everyone has more.
What this hexagram counsels in a reading
Drawing Increase, the advice is to act — and to act now. This is a window that rewards initiative, so undertake the worthwhile venture you have been weighing, set out on the journey, make the move. When you see something good, imitate it; when you spot a fault in yourself, correct it at once. And crucially, let your good fortune spread: generosity is not a drain here but the very engine of the increase. Share the gain freely, and what you give compounds and returns.
In love and relationships
This is a warm, growing season for partnership. Bonds deepen when each person gives generously without keeping score, pouring goodwill into the other and trusting it to be returned. It is a fine time to commit further, to invest care and attention, to let love expand rather than guard it. Lead with openness and kindness; the more freely you give of yourself here, the more the relationship flourishes for both of you.
In work and money
Professionally, the wind is at your back. Launch the project, pursue the opportunity, expand with confidence — conditions favour growth and reward those who move decisively. With money, this often signals gain, but its lesson is that prosperity multiplies when it circulates: reinvest, give, and let others benefit from your success. A leader who shares advantage builds loyalty and momentum. Seize the moment, act generously, and the increase carries everyone forward together.
Moving lines and the changing hexagram
A moving line in Increase often speaks to how the abundance is used — whether it is shared wisely, spent on worthy ends, or risked by greed and overreach. These lines test whether prosperity is met with generosity or grasping. The hexagram it changes into reveals where the growth is heading: continued flourishing when gains are circulated well, or a turn toward decline if the increase is hoarded and the favourable moment squandered.
Its Tarot kin
Increase shares its hopeful, generous current with The Star, Tarot's image of renewal, flow and quiet abundance. The Star pours water freely onto land and stream, holding nothing back, trusting the source to refill — the same open-handed plenty this hexagram celebrates. Both speak of a benevolent tide: a time to give without fear, to believe in what is growing, and to let what flows through you nourish whatever it reaches.
Cast the coins and you might draw this one — try the I Ching tool, or see all sixty-four on the full hexagram grid. For reflection and insight, not fortune-telling — see our disclaimer.